Greek Fest Fort Myers: The 5 things you have to eat

For the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church's annual Greek Fest this weekend in south Fort Myers, only hand-made dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) will do. Good thing they only need 10,000 of them.
Annabelle Tometich/news-press.com

So much Greek food, so little time. We've got five of the tastiest treats, from savory to sweet, you have to eat at this weekend's Greek Fest Fort Myers.

We all know gyros and feta, but this weekend's Greek Fest Fort Myers is a chance to expand your Greek-eating horizons.

"Four months now we've been cooking," organizer Carolyn Nastos said of the mountains of food being prepped for the three-day event, which kicks off today at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in south Fort Myers.

"We are really indebted to our volunteers."

Those volunteers have been stuffing and rolling more than 8,000 grape leaves, baking thousands of cookies and pastries, and prepping more than a ton of meats. Those dishes (along with Greek music, rides, dancing and games) will be available starting at 11 a.m. today, when Greek Fest kicks off. The 43rd annual event even offers online ordering and drive-thru pickup in front of the church from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today only.

There is no wrong thing to eat at Greek Fest, but these five lesser-known treats are well worth exploring. Consider this your Greek Fest primer, your guide to the most delicious and interesting things to eat this weekend.

Opa!

Saganaki

Better known as flaming cheese, this is the flashiest dish you're going to find at Greek Fest. It starts with a thick slice of Greek cheese sauteed with olive oil and lemon, then finished with a hit of Greek brandy for that signature flame.

Price: $8

Find it: At the corner of the Aegean Cafe, just look for the fire

Saganaki is among the many Greek dishes available at this weekend's Greek Fest Fort Myers.(Photo: special to news-press)

Locaniko

Locaniko, loukaniko, locanico — no matter how you spell it, this hearty and homey Greek sausage is packed with tradition. "Ours is a 100-year-old recipe of pork links with orange zest in there and other herbs," Nastos said. In Greece, locaniko dates back to at least the 4th century. It can be folded into a pita or eaten sliced as an appetizer.

Price: $8 with pita

Find it: In the same tent as the saganaki

Locaniko is a Greek sausage made with orange zest and herbs.(Photo: GoodLifeStudio, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Dolmathes

Stuffed with ground beef and the church's own blend of secret spices, it takes weeks of prep work to get the festival's thousands of grape leaves rolled. Each is made by hand, by the church's own parishioners, then steamed in small batches. That's a lot of effort for a two-bite dolma, but considering they always sell out, Nastos says it's well worth it.

Price: $13 as a meal with a cheese pie, a spinach pie, Greek salad and a roll; $6 for five a la carte

Greek fries

These feta-topped french fries have become so popular they earned their own tent this year. The dish starts with "a boatful, they're just huge," of french-fried potatoes smothered in crumbled feta, oregano and Greek seasonings. Nastos says the fries pair perfectly with souvlaki, or a slice of spanikopita, or the legs of lamb her crew roast over open coals, "really, they go with everything."

Price: $4

Find it: Outside the Yassou tent

Souvlaki and Greek fries will be among the dozens of Greek dishes available at Greek Fest Fort Myers this weekend.(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

Galaktobouriko

Move over baklava, there's a new flaky Greek dessert in town. "Gala means milk, so it's a custard with phyllo on top and bottom, soaked in an orange-honey syrup," Nastos said. "It's gotten really, really popular, not just here but all over the country you're seeing more and more galaktobouriko."

Price: $3

Find it: In the corner bakery, with dozens of other Greek pastries and sweets

Galaktobouriko is among the traditional Greek sweets available at this weekend's Greek Fest Fort Myers.(Photo: kaspan, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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If you go

Greek Fest Fort Myers 2018

What: A three-day event celebrating Greek culture, customs and food. The festival includes carnival-style rides and games, live music, dancing and dozens of scratch-made Greek dishes.

Drive-thru: For today only, you can get a limited Greek Fest menu to go. Place orders at samos.agliafs.com/index.php starting at 6 a.m. today for drive-thru pickup between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in front of the church. Customers can also place orders at the drive-thru.